Dissonant Verses
by DefinitelyNotPie
Summary: Alistair & Morrigan are reunited 10 years at Skyhold after the Blight.


_Alistair knew the moment they had locked eyes that Kieran was his son. The boy stared back with gentle curiosity before a smile broke across his face._

_"You're a Grey Warden," Kieran said with reserved enthusiasm._

_Ah, that's why he's looking at me like that, Alistair thought. He'd suspected that Kieran had, like him, felt that pull of familiarity. Recognized eyes similar in shape and identical in color, the same crooked smile. But, no. It was the Grey Warden insignia on Alistair's armor Kieran had been drawn to._

_Alistair smiled back. "You are too," he gestured toward Kieran's shining griffon chestpiece._

_"Oh, no," Kieran answered seriously. "I want to be one, and mother said it would be better than being a Templar but she doesn't like thinking about that."_

_"Ah, yes. Templars are the absolute worst, I've heard," he chuckled lightly, casting a glance over to Morrigan, who had not taken her eyes off of him since he'd arrived in the garden of Skyhold. At his words, she rolled her eyes and he couldn't help but chuckle softly, earning him a scowl that tickled a long forgotten fancy._

* * *

They were so close.

"Go! I'll cover you," Hawke urged.

Alistair couldn't. "No. You were right. The Wardens caused this. A Warden must…" He trailed off, swallowing the acrid bile in his throat.

Hawke shook his head. "A Warden must help them rebuild! That's _your_ job." He turned to the monstrous creature and snarled. "Corypheus is _mine_."

Alistair and Hawke met eyes again. They stared each other down, Hawke glaring, Alistair shaking his head and readying his sword. Both defiant, neither wanting the other to face this responsibility. To face it alone.

"Alistair…" The sorrow in Evelyn's voice was profound and Alistair felt sad for her. This was precisely why he couldn't make decisions like this. Why he followed and never led. He could never live with this kind of guilt.

He wanted to say something to ease Evelyn's conscience - usually an involuntary joke would make its way out of him in times like this.

But all he could say was, "Right. Good luck. I'll keep it off you." He could barely hear his own voice. It sounded like it was coming from far away.

There was no time for contemplation, no time for bitter thoughts, no time for regrets. And there was no resentment. All that mattered was that Hawke and Evelyn made it through that rift behind the… whatever in the Maker's name this hideous giant spider thing was. A spider demon?

His heart slammed against his ribs, pulsating through to his ears. He ran toward the enormous creature.

"For the Wardens!" he cried. The spider demon's eyes flicked back and forth, while some remained focused on the rift and some followed Alistair's movement.

Alistair charged and slashed and thrust, taking out as many eyes and dangling bits as he could. He knew that he was doing next to nothing to harm the creature. He hoped that he was, at the very least, being annoying enough to keep the spider demon's attention away from the rift.

Alistair was an expert at that, being annoying. Morrigan had always reminded him of such. Though most recently she'd commented on how he was less insufferable these days. He'd have to be sure to be extra bothersome now. _Who knew lives would one day depend on it?_ A laugh erupted from his chest through gritted teeth.

Exhaustion had set in hours ago and his second wind was waning. Alistair knew he was running out of time. There was no way of knowing if Hawke and Evelyn had made it out of the Fade, so he just kept attacking. He backed up to see if the creature would chase him. Up until this point it had been screaming and staring with its too many, creepy little eyes, and bleeding on him (which was disgusting)...but it hadn't attacked.

Until now.

It reached for Alistair with fangs and legs. Though the spider had the potential to do some damage, it was almost too large and slow to make accurate strikes.

His sword and shield felt heavy. Exhaustion caught up with him and he dropped to his knees. The spider demon flicked one of its legs at Alistair, knocking the breath out of his lungs and sending him flying into a wall of stone.

His eyes lost focus but Alistair could hear the monster advancing toward him and he knew this was it.

His sword was gone, but Duncan's shield was by his side. He reached for it, held it close.

"In death…"

Alistair was interrupted by an odd drifting sensation.

Then there was nothing.


End file.
